Rebellion (website, Facebook, Twitter) – 1836 18th St. NW (at T), a new whiskey-focused Dupont bar, officially opens its doors on Tuesday, May 13th, after soft opening to the public on Friday. Previously home to a series of Asian eateries (memorably Straits of Malaya from 1989-1999 & 2004-2010, and less memorably Zabb and Mum Mum), the transformed space sits directly across 18th Street from the uber-popular Lauriol Plaza margarita/Mexican behemoth but aims to be a neighborhood spot. The menu boasts 50 types of bourbon and whiskey, a lengthy list of craft beers, a number of $10 & $12 cocktails, and Southern-inspired food. The bar (Rebellion’s photo gallery from the soft-opening gives a great tour of the space) features a tremendous rooftop complete with its own dedicated bar. Rebellion features some extended happy hour specials (3:30-8p M-F; $5 house wines & rails; $3 domestic cans; 1/2 price bar bites) and daily specials like 10% off for locals on Mondays, 25% off whiskey on Wednesday & $2 off craft beers on Thursdays.

Rebellion’s opening comes in the midst of a transformation of one of my favorite areas of DC; the blocks of 18th Street between S & T Streets now feature the affordable cocktail spot Bar Charley, the solid Dupont Market deli/sandwich spot, Mandu for Korean dumplings, Rosemary’s Bistro with its great patio, the hordes who frequent Lauriol Plaza and spill out onto its sidewalks, Rebellion, and possibly a new bar-Saloon 45-in an old flower shop. Unlike Bar Charley, Rebellion will not face a fight to open later hours; Mum Mum’s liquor license, which allowed full late closing hours, carries over (although the rooftop and sidewalk cafes will have to shut down by midnight each night, similar to neighboring spots).